Diono Rainier vs Diono Pacifica – The Differences Explained

Diono Rainier Diono Pacifica

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The New Series of Diono Convertible-Booster Car Seats

The Diono company has been manufacturing high quality child car seats for many years and these seats have justifiably been very popular amongst parents.

This popularity is almost certainly due to the fact that these seats have managed to combine great premium safety features with some all important convenience factors. One of the most valuable practical benefits of the previous range of convertible-booster seats has been that they are very narrow (just 17 inches wide).

This narrow profile means that seats like the Radian RXT,R120 and R100are able to fit “3 in a row” in most standard sized family vehicles. This ability to fit them side by side is a great feature for anyone than plans to have at least 3 children.

However, although this previous range of seats is still on the market, Diono has recently released 3 new seats that will probably eventually replace the previous range altogether.

The new Diono seats are called the Rainier, the Pacifica and the Olympia and they all rated as suitable for use from 5 lbs upwards.

I have already compared the top-of-the-range Diono Rainier with the older Diono Radian RXT and you can read that post here.

The purpose of this post is simply to compare the top-of-the-range Rainier with the mid-range Pacifica so that you can make a more informed decision when you come to decide whether or not to buy one of these seats for your child.

The Rainier and the Pacifica are almost identical seats, but there is one very important difference that explains why the Rainier is $20-25 more expensive than the Pacifica.

So, what are the similarities and differences between the Diono Rainier and the Diono Pacifica?

Rainier vs Pacifica– Common Features

Before discussing the single difference between these 2 seats, let’s just take a look at the impressive list of common features that are found on both seats.

Both seats come with:

Full steel frame and aluminum reinforced sides

Reinforced extra deep sidewalls with energy-absorbing foam for superior head and body protection

Rear-facing from 5 to 50 lbs (up to 44″ in height)

Highest forward-facing capacity of any car seat in a 5-point harness: from 20-90 lbs (up to 57″ in height)

Booster mode for children between 50 and 120 lbs. (up to 57″ in height)

One thing to bear in mind about the Rainier and Pacifica seats is that they are wider than the previous models at the top, due to the new reinforced side wings. The seats are still 17 inches wide at the base, but they are now wider at the top (6 inches more) and this “might” affect whether or not you can fit 3 in a row across the back seat of your vehicle.

On the Diono website, they claim that the “space saving design allows extra room for passengers while providing spacious interior for the child”.

I would suggest that if you need to fit 3 across the rear seat of your vehicle, you should ensure that you buy the seat from somewhere that has a Free Returns policy (like Amazon), so that you can confirm that it will fit correctly prior to committing fully to the purchase.

Rainier vs Pacifica – The Single Difference

The single difference between the Rainier and the Pacifica is the fact that the Rainier comes fitted with extra wide head wings and the Pacifica does not.

You can see this difference quite clearly on the images at the top of this page and below.

These head wings are designed to provide added protection to the head area in the event of a side impact collision. These head wings certainly look impressive and reassuring, but whether or not they actually make much of a difference is another matter. Diono claim that they do and I certainly have no evidence to suggest that they do not.

Although you will have to pay an extra $20-25 to get this feature, I would certainly choose the Rainier over the Pacifica. These seats are designed to last for the entire “car seat life” of your child and paying an extra few dollars for an additional safety feature that might help to protect them in a side impact collision is a small price to pay in my opinion. Although side impact collisions are less common than frontal and rear collisions, they are often more serious and cause more significant injuries.

In addition to the safety issue, these head wings also make the seat look more comfortable and provide your child with a place to rest their head that is much closer to the central position. When your child graduates to the belt-positioning booster mode, this ought to help to prevent them from slumping their heads too much to the side when they fall asleep on longer journeys.

The Car Seat Lady Demonstrates How to Install RF with LATCH

Different Fabric Colors

Although there is only 1 safety feature difference between these 2 seats, they also come in different fabric colours.

Diono Car Seats in Canada

Booster Mode – IIHS “Not Recommended” Rating

Since writing this comparison review, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has published its November 2014 “Booster Seat Evaluation” results. Unfortunately, the Diono Pacifica and Olympia seats scored very badly in these evaluations and have been awarded a “Not Recommended” rating.

The problem seems to stem from the fact that the shoulder belt guides on the Pacifica and Olympia put the shoulder belt in a position that touched the child’s face in a number of safety belt configurations.

So, the bad news is that these seats cannot be regarded as safe to use in booster mode.

However, it is not all bad news:

These seats can still be used in rear-facing and forwards-facing harness modes for longer than other convertible car seats;

The Diono Rainier does NOT suffer from this problem and intact gets a “GOOD BET” rating from the IIHS. This difference is due to the fact that it has an adjustable head rest that means that the belt guides can be moved into an acceptable position. So, if you like these Diono seats and don’t want to have to change to another high-backed booster seat when your child exceeds the “Harness Mode” weight/height limits (see above), you should consider buying the Rainier instead. Alternatively, you can consider one of the older Diono seats.

Safety Information

After purchasing any child car seat, you should always read the User Manual thoroughly before using it. It is also advisable to visit your local Fire Department or NHTSA Child Car Seat Inspection Centre to ensure that the seat is definitely suitable for your child’s specific requirements and that you have installed it correctly. These services are usually provided free of charge.